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Auld Lang Syne Grey

Auld Lang Syne is a song which was written in 1788 and came from the pen of Scotland’s Favourite Son: the poet Robert Burns.(The Scots title translates as “old long since”, “times gone by” or “long, long ago.”) The song which inspired this tartan design was contributed by Robert Burns to the 1796 edition of the book Scots Musical Museum.

He made some refinements to the lyrics, having heard it sung by an old man from the Ayrshire area of Scotland, Burns’ homeland. Elements of the song can be traced back to the 1500s. It was from Scotland that the tradition spread, carried by travellers and emigrants – sung by Scots families who made the Atlantic crossing. The song quickly became a key part of Scottish new year celebrations. It was popularised by band leader Guy Lombardo in New York in the late 1920s, who first heard it sung by immigrant Scots in London, Ontario. It is familiar across the world. The song asks whether old friends and times will be forgotten and promises to remember people of the past with fondness: “For auld lang syne, we’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet.”

These commonplace notebooks, in Large, Pocket and Mini formats are bound in genuine Auld Lang Syne Grey tartan, woven in Great Britain.

Commonplace notebooks date back to the Scottish Enlightenment. Many thinkers and writers used a commonplace notebook for writing down ideas and knowledge including Adam Smith, Robert Burns, David Hume, and later, writers such as Sir Walter Scott, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Virginia Woolf.